TRACE Uva Chapter was launched recently
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Board of Directors.
The first-ever regional chapter of TRACE (Technologically Re-Awakening the Culture of Excellence), the founding and governing body of the TRACE Expert City Maradana, was launched in Uva Province recently at the Bandarawela Hotel.
The Uva chapter launch took place as the TRACE team has decided to establish its first-ever regional facility in Uva Province to foster the innovation culture in the region. The launch was graced by a diversified audience of tech entrepreneurs, professionals, freelancers, academics, researchers, government officials. Anura de Alwis, Chief Digital Economy Officer of ICTA; Ms. Vajira Kularathna, Assistant Director of Export Development Board; Prof. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera, Vice-Chancellor of the Uva Wellassa University; Prof. Udaya Rathnayaka, Vice-Chancellor of the Sabaragamuwa University, Brigadier Chandra Jayaweera and Badulla DIG G.K.J. Aponsu were among the distinguished invitees to grace the occasion, the organisers said in a media release.
It said that a few months ago, the Uva Start-up Hub, the community of entrepreneurs, investors, professionals and freelancers with the primary objective of bringing foreign currency to the Uva province working in collaboration since 2016, developed a proposal to have a Technology and Innovation Center in the Uva Province. The proposal has been developed considering all the crucial factors related to the Uva Tech industry. Uva Start-up Hub presented the proposal to the TRACE board of directors via a zoom discussion. Industry stakeholders such as EDB, ICTA, SLASSCOM, Orel IT also took part in this discussion. Followed by the series of discussions, the TRACE leadership team visited the proposed sites and announced their decision to establish the preliminary regional facility of TRACE. Forming the TRACE Uva Chapter is the maiden step in establishing TRACE Uva facility.
The board of directors of the new initiative are – Chairman – Chameera Wijebandara, CEO LiveRoom (Pvt) Ltd; Vice-Chairman – Kalinga Gunawardhane, CEO, Ceydigital (Pvt) Ltd; Secretary – Kushan Wanniarachchi, and Creative Consultant, Artha Creative (Pvt) Ltd. The five board members are – Kosala Sandaruwan Dissanayake, CEO, Insfra Technologies (Pvt) Ltd; Prof. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera, Vice-Chancellor of Uva Wellassa University; Ms. Damayanthi Paranagama, Badulla District Secretary / Government Agent; Sampath Pradeep Kumara Nissanka, Assistant Secretary of Ministry of Tourism, Uva Provincial Council; and Janaka Walisundera, Business Consultant.
Three board members were appointed as representatives from the main TRACE Board of Directors: Dr. Prasad Samarasinghe, Managing Director, Lanka Bell Ltd; Dr. Sankalpa Gamwarige, General Manager, Zone24x7 (Pvt) Ltd; and Kusal Subasinghe, Director, CodeGen International (Pvt) Ltd.